Judge Misconduct A Growing Focus

Joshua Stewart

Updated: 2 years ago.

Six Georgia judges have quit or retired this year after they found out the state’s judicial watchdog was investigating them. Another faces nine counts of misconduct. The uptick in Georgia mirrors a national trend, according to some experts. (Photo Courtesy of s_falkow via Flickr.)

A Sumter County State Judge quit recently amid an investigation into misappropriated funds. He was the sixth Georgia judge to step down this year to avoid misconduct hearings before the state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission. Another is due for a hearing this month.

“There has been a real uptick in this in states like California and New York and Georgia,” he said.

“What we’ve seen is, for instance, the funding that’s gone to the JQC in the last two years has increased by over 100 percent.”

Oedel said that’s a factor of growing public demand for judicial accountability. He said the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s director, Jeffrey Davis, has been aggressive in pursuing cases.

“Is [the increasing number of cases] because there is a real, extra-special problem here in Georgia? Or it is because it’s been under wraps for so long? Because we have somebody new like Jeff Davis? There’s more money going into the process? Probably a number of factors are involved,” Oedel said.